If you take wide-angle photos, hold the camera so that the lower edge of the image is parallel to the horizon.
The auto-focus mechanism of your camera may not work in the darkness, so you should set your camera to manual mode. Set the camera focus to
infinity.
The ISO number and the exposure time should be set properly. In the next set of photographs, we demonstrate the impact of these two factors in snapping conjunctions with both your DSLR cameras and smartphones.
Figure 1 shows an example of a photo taken with a smartphone on March 18 2021 or both planet Mars and the Moon. ISO number and exposure time were set to 3200 and 1/8 second, respectively. Here you can find Mars above the Moon. However, the Moon looks saturated (overexposure), so it would have been better to have chosen a smaller ISO number or shorter exposure time. If ISO numbers or exposure times are too small, Mars will disappear from the photo.
Figures 2 to 4 show photos taken with a compact camera with different ISO numbers. Their exposure times were all 1/2 second. A tripod was used to avoid camera shake. The ISO numbers of Figure 2, 3, and 4 are 3200, 1600, and 800, respectively. The smaller the ISO number, the clearer the shape of the moon, but the darker Mars. Which do you think is the best shot?
The best ISO and exposure time depends on camera and zoom condition. So, you should consider trying out several sets of ISO numbers and exposure times to obtain a good photo.
Even if you are not satisfied with your photo, don’t worry. Enjoy this space show and keep records and memories of your experiences.